Mandatory Physical Education I

Current high school students are becoming fatter, slower, and less motivated than past students. Many of these young people would prefer to be sitting passively in front of the television rather than to do something physically active. Most high school students believe they do not have sufficient time, opportunity or guidance to participate in physical activities. The ideal place in which students would be able to find adequate time, opportunity and guidance are in the high schools themselves. Politicians and educators responsible for the mandatory physical education program at the junior high school levels (grades eight to ten) should be applauded for this, but frowned upon for not enforcing it on senior high school students (grades 11 and 12). Physical Education is defined as "the process of education that develops the human body, specifically fitness and movement skills" (Baker, 1990, p. 14). This teaches students valuable skills that would be applicable to life, present and future. Students also learn how to work and interact with others to pursue goals in a way which academic subjects, such as mathematics and science, may not provide. Physical Education should be a requirement for all British Columbia high school students because it provides physical skills necessary for effective social functioning, offers educational value and teaches healthy habits reducing health risks.

Opposition of mandatory Physical Education in high schools believe that if a student has not developed a desire for voluntary physical exercise by the time he or she reaches high school , he or she may not ever (Eberhardt). It is true that individuals should not be forced into something they don't want to participate in, but if these students don't get any exercise outside of school, where will they receive an appropriate amount of fitness? Paul Eberhardt, athletic director, intramural director and head coach of the McNair Marlins basketball team in Richmond, B.C., believes "that students don't care about participating in P.E. anymore and we have to educate students on the benefits of Physical Education". In the 1994-1995 school year there were 1,133 students enrolled at McNair High School but there were only four P.E. classes available, which meant approximately 120 students attended in these classes. The remaining 1013 grade eleven and twelve students had no Physical Education at all. This is an astonishing figure. "Many students participate in sports and recreation activities outside of school, but most of them get hardly any exercise at all. There needs to be a place where students can get some sort of exercise and physical activity" (Eberhardt). School is the ideal place to implement such physical activities because most have the proper facilities and equipment necessary to accommodate the students and the activities involved. If P.E. is not made a mandatory subject then many students will not gain the benefits a decent program can provide.

The same opponents who are opposed to Physical Education being compulsory in high schools believe that a well-equipped and well-organized intramural program made available to students it would replace the need to have P.E. in schools. The problem with the lack of students participating is, again, apparent. McNair's athletic department offered basketball, volleyball, indoor soccer, and floor hockey, but all, with the exception of basketball, had to be cancelled because of the lack of participants. Eventually basketball also had to be cancelled as players stopped attending during the season. The question that arises then is, were these sports offered as full-credit courses? The answer is no. It would seem that the government would rather invest their funds on other areas and emphasize the importance of academic subjects. Academics are vital but so is physical education, a healthy body contributes to a healthy mind. Physical Education must become mandatory!

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

...﻿
Dodging the Dodgeball of Childhood Obesity with MandatoryPhysicalEducation
Dodging the Dodgeball of Childhood Obesity with MandatoryPhysicalEducation
Thesis: PhysicalEducation should be mandatory for all students between kindergarten and high school graduation because it is necessary for receiving the recommended amount of daily physical activity, it is essential to maintaining a better quality of life from childhood into adulthood, and it is important for developing a positive lifelong attitude towards physical activity.
I. PhysicalEducation is needed to receive an adequate amount of physical activity.
A. Children are mainly sedentary and spend most of their waking hours in school
B. statistics on the rise for obesity in children
C. Parents are generally unable to gage if their children are receiving enough physical activity, and there is lack safe play areas.
II. PhysicalEducation enhances physical health.
A. prevention of disease
B. strengthening of bone and muscle, and improvement of mood
C. MandatoryPhysicalEducation is needed to establish lifelong habits...

...1. What is “PhysicalEducation”?
Physicaleducation (often abbreviated Phys. Ed., P.E., or PE) or gymnastics (gym or gym class) is an educational course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting to promote health.
2. Objectives of PE.
* PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
Through the carefully selected physical an individual who participates actively will develop and maintain good health and a high level of physical fitness. The acquisitron of physical skills can motivate an individual to participate, further in physical activities hence his growth and development will be enhance.
* SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Participation in the physicaleducation activities provides opportunities for the development of desirable social traits needed for adjustment to the social life in general. Some worth while traits are friendliness, cooperation, respect for the rights of others, good sports worship, honesty in group competition
* EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The informal nature of physicaleducation activity offers opportunities for self-expression and emotional mastery. example of traits are: self confidence, self control, self- reliance, courage, determination.
* MENTAL DEVELOPMENT
Through participation...

...﻿ Should PhysicalEducation be a mandatory class?
Canada is a nation, where physicaleducation was once mandatory. However, now it seems that society discourages physicaleducation by cutting gym classes in schools, and reducing physical activities in classrooms. Some schools make physicaleducation a choice which most should disagree with. It is important for students to stay physically fit at all times. This is a healthy consideration that will help students fight obesity, high cholesterol and blood pressure. Therefore, physicaleducation should be mandatory in all schools because students need to be active and understand the concept of healthy living. Having regular exercise is an advantage as it helps students to be physically fit and healthy, high academic achievement, and reduces health care.
“Living healthy” is a powerful statement that has different meanings such as living longer, having low blood pressure and reducing the risk of getting diabetes. Having a healthy lifestyle with an exercise routine is a very healthy act of living, as it reduces stress and helps people focus on how to properly take care of the body. Physicaleducation helps students improve their knowledge about health issues leading to a more enjoyable...

...meaning of PhysicalEducation.
History of PhysicalEducation
The Spartans and Athenians were the first to have a type of physicaleducation. Though very different, both systems served the people and supplied their needs. The Spartan system was similar to dictatorship, a form of government. At the age of seven, boys were taken to learn basic military skills while living in barracks. When they reached the age of fourteen, they began learning group fighting tactics which would allow them to succeed while in the military from the ages of twenty to thirty. Once thirty, the men could then marry a women who had been doing some training of her own in order to make strong babies. The philosophy of the Spartans was basically to allow them to invade other countries if desired, and to prevent other countries from invading them.
The philosophy of the Athenians was quite different compared to the Spartans. The Athenian culture was very democratic, and focused on training of the mind and body. Reading and writing was a large part of society as well as physical activity which took place in the center of the city where the gymnasium was located. The physicaleducation philosophy of the Athenians was the high point of physicaleducation for many years.
Some other cycles in physicaleducation that...

...To provide a balanced stimulating PhysicalEducation curriculum which will appeal to the interests and abilities of all students
To help the physical development of students in the important period leading up to and including puberty and through maturation to adulthood.
To promote the development of skill and coordination through a structured PhysicalEducation programme.
To increase aesthetic awareness and appreciation.
To enable every student to experience achievement and satisfaction through the medium of sport.
To encourage development both as an individual and as a member of society in interpersonal skills, coping mechanisms, and personal conduct and hygiene.
To contribute to the pupils intellectual development through the understanding of physical activities.
To enable every student to become water-efficient.
To instill a sense of ‘school-spirit’ and social responsibility.
Physicaleducation and school sports.
Physicaleducation and school sport is a crucial part of a well-rounded primary school education. The main goal of physicaleducation for young children is to give them the skills and knowledge necessary to keep their bodies healthy as they age. Movement is an essential part of how children learn. In order to keep children engaged and...

...What is PhysicalEducation?
Physicaleducation should be regarded as a vital and dynamic aspect of every educational program. Physicaleducation is education through human movement. It is the aspect of education that contributes to the total growth and development of the child mostly through selected movement and physical activities. It also enhances academic learning, helps meet the overall elementary school mission, employs authentic assessment strategies, treats students with dignity and respect and applies instructional and motivational techniques (Pettifor 1). Physicaleducation prepares students to live physically active, healthy lives through learning experiences at school. These learning experiences must include appropriate motor skills, healthy-related fitness, knowledge of health-related fitness, confidence in being active, and also an appreciation of the benefits of physical activity. Physicaleducation helps develop the whole child, including the child's cognitive development, physical development, social development and also helps develop psychomotor skills.
According to the Ontario Health and PhysicalEducation Curriculum; Grades 1-8 resouce, there are three strands of physical...

...﻿HEALTH
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living organism. In humans it is the ability of individuals or communities to adapt and self-manage when facing physical, mental or social challenges.[1] The World Health Organization(WHO) defined health in its broader sense in its 1948 constitution as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
MENTAL HEALTH
Mental health is a level of psychological well-being, or an absence of a mental disorder;[1] it is the "psychological state of someone who is functioning at a satisfactory level of emotional and behavioral adjustment".[2] From the perspective ofpositive psychology or holism, mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life, and create a balance between life activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience.[1] According to World Health Organization (WHO) mental health includes "subjective well-being, perceived self-efficacy, autonomy, competence, intergenerational dependence, and self-actualization of one's intellectual and emotional potential, among others."[3] WHO further states that the well-being of an individual is encompassed in the realization of their abilities, coping with normal stresses of life, productive work and contribution to their community. However, cultural differences, subjective assessments, and competing professional theories all affect how "mental...

...including public education, juvenile justice, community and faith sectors.
Multiple funding services can support initiatives to serve out-of-school youth. Service to the people is the basic foundation of the government. Section 4 Article II of the Philippines Constitution states that “The prime duty of the government is to serve and protect the people”. The government must be attuned to in implementing the government program for the welfare of the people should will support and cooperate in an administration attaining the objectives of different programs undertaken by the government especially for youth development. It required managing in order that they effectively respond to the requirements of progress to satisfy essential community.
A number of factors such as commitment to development goals and objectives responsive government structure and optimal utilization of financial, political, institutional and other resources as may be needed for effective and efficient performance, with this vast power, authority and resources given to them in order to help the out-of-school youth, the government could be responsive to the needs specially to the youth. With such development there is a greater to maximize the limited resources of the government services, requires comprehensive evaluation of its plans programs and budgets to an organizational objectives. Although rapid unbanization has had negative consequences on the peoples quality of life and on the...